pretending works!

CAMBRIDGE, MA—A study released Thursday by researchers at Harvard University's Department of Psychology has found that the simple act of pretending one's life is not a complete shambles threatening to collapse at any moment works.

"Even when everything is coming apart at the seams and disaster is almost certainly imminent, putting up a good front for friends and loved ones makes everything better," said Professor Christine Wanamaker, who explained that smiling a lot and evasive answers were usually enough to get by. "Tell everyone that things are fine, and they will be fine. Just don't over-think it."

When asked about her study's methodology, Wanamaker said the research was rock-solid, had been looked over by a bunch of scientists, and definitely wasn't anything to worry about.

***

Or maybe you don't have to pretend..

There's a theory in behavioral psychology called the fading affect bias. In simple terms, it states that negative emotions leave our memories much faster than positive ones -- a sort of natural aversion to unpleasant thoughts.


In 1948, psychologist Sam Waldfogel gave a group of participants 85 minutes to write down every event they could remember from the first eight years of their life, and rank them as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Logically, events should have been spread evenly between the three. But they weren't. Pleasant memories outweighed negative ones by almost twofold. People had a distinct positive bias when recalling their past.


So, what's this mean for your investments? People worry and the economy slows down. Then they get over it and it recovers. Same story again and again. John Maynard Keynes called these shifts animal spirits -- "a spontaneous urge to action rather than inaction." The important thing is that they happen consistently and predictably. You get to choose whether you want to stop worrying before the crowd, or wait and follow the crowd. It's the epitome of being fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. And it may be the single largest factor in determining whether you'll be a successful investor or not.

Phyllis Diller

Phyllis Diller, the zany housewife-turned-stand-up comic with the electrified hairdo, outlandish wardrobe and a barrage of self-deprecating jokes punctuated by her trademark laugh, has died. She was 95.

Diller, whose career in comedy clubs spanned nearly 50 years, died in her sleep Monday at her longtime home in Brentwood, said her agent, Fred Wostbrock.

As a professional comedian, Diller was a late bloomer: The Ohio native was an Alameda, Calif., mother of five when she made her nightclub debut at the Purple Onion in San Francisco in 1955 — at age 37.

Jack Paar once described her as looking "like someone you avoid at the supermarket." Bob Hope called her "a Warhol mobile of spare parts picked up along a freeway."

But Diller was always the first to address her colorfully eccentric stage persona, describing herself as "The Elizabeth Taylor of'The Twilight Zone'" and a woman who once worked "as a lampshade in a whorehouse."

During her long career, she was in more than two dozen movies, including three with Hope, with whom she also appeared on numerous TV specials and traveled with to Vietnam to entertain U.S. troops.

But the outlandish Diller always shined best in nightclubs, showrooms and concert halls, where one of her favorite targets was her domestic life, including her fictional husband "Fang."

"I don't like to cook; I can make a TV dinner taste like radio," she'd say.

"Fang's idea of a seven-course dinner is a six-pack and a bologna sandwich. The last time I said let's eat out, we ate in the garage."

"I put on a peekaboo blouse. He took a peek and booed."

my sink is clogged again :(

After having the bathroom sink clogged a few weeks ago, now it's the kitchen sink.

Last time I used Drano.  The half a bottle didn't work, so I poured in the whole bottle.  After two or three hours the sink finally drained.  Happiness.

I had been having trouble lately with the water backing up, but running the disposal for several seconds got the water drained.  This time it drained, then came right back up :(

This time I'm using Liquid Plumber.  Poured in a half a bottle.  The water was still there standing 45 minutes later.  So poured in the whole bottle.

About four hours later, the water is still there.  Now about six hours later, the water level is slightly down.

What to do?  (Besides calling a plumber.  Last time I called Glenn and he wound up having the cut the large pipe from under where I'm sitting - outside the kitchen - and snaking the pipe under the lawn toward the manhole.  But I think the heavy duty Drano I dumped into the pipe might have eventually worked.)

The easiest solution (for me) would be to pour some more chemicals down the sink.  Maybe Drano in addition to the Liquid Plumber.  Drano recommends Drano Max Gel -- it pours through water straight to the clog.

Then there's the baking soda and vinegar proponents.  [But maybe I shouldn't try it after using the Liquid Plumber]

1) Dump 1/2 box of baking soda down both sides of your two sided sink (I don't know why two sides in my case since the side seems to be draining fine.  Looking under the house I see each side going down separate pipes then merging into a big pipe.  Evidently the clog is above the merge.

2) Follow with a chaser of 1/2 cup of vinegar

3) Let sit for 10 minutes

4) Boil water and send down both drains

5) Halfway fill both basins with hot water

6) Stop up the non-disposal basin

7) Plunge the disposal side for 5 to 10 minutes

***

OK, now I see the water finally drained.  But running the faucet and now there's new water in there.  At least it's not completely clogged now.

***

Here's more steps to try.

Try the plunger (w/o the baking soda)

Clean the P-trap

Snake the line

Hopefully it won't come to the snake.

***

OK tried plunging a few times.  Seems to have clogged the sink even more.

WTH, turn on the disposal.  Sink drains.  But when I turn it off, the water fills up again.  Now the thing is stuck again.

Thinking about it, I've got a suspicion that it's leftover pie crust that's clogging up the sink.

***

OK went down to Longs, bought the Drano Max Gel (as well some some vinegar from Times for possible future use), and poured half the bottle in.  I didn't see anything happening for about five minutes so I poured the rest of the bubble.  I saw a little bubbling coming out of the sink hole (whatever you call it), so that was encouraging.  But now I see nothing.

OK guess I'll have to wait.

***

When this thing gets unstuck, I'll try not to throw the pie crust down there next time.  And/or maybe use that Drano Build-Up Remover.

***

Left overnight and hope for the best

Hey wake up and see the sink has been drained.

Run water.  Doesn't back up.

Thank you Drano!  Happy :)

The 60s (Sixties)

The '60s   This is the one of the best

 presentations of the sixties that I have

 ever seen online. It is very well done.

 Just click on the link and sit back and

 enjoy the memories. Great photos and

 facts, & Especially Songs!!

Click on the highlighted  link below .

                           the sixties 

-- from a chain mail (not to be confused with the PBS documentary)

J. Akuhead Pupule

Hal Lewis, better known as J. Akuhead Pupule, was the top deejay in the islands from 1947 until his death 29 years ago on July 21, 1983.

Aku was one of the highest paid deejays in the nation at the time, earning an estimated $500,000 a year. He was born April 14, 1917, as Herschel Laib Hohenstein.

By the time he came to Hawaii as a violinist on the Matsonia, he had changed it to Hal Lewis. KPOA (now KORL) gave him his first radio job.

"Aku had a perfect voice for AM radio," says KSSK's Michael W. Perry. "He just had the right timbre and register. He was a musician. He understood sound and how music and voice fit together."

Aku was one of the first to take phone calls on the air. "Hello dere," he would say. Listeners would ask about current events or tell him jokes. He took calls from President Richard Nixon, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra. He had an array of bells, whistles, buzzers and sound effects to provide color.

When the rock 'n' roll era washed over the radio waves, Aku stuck with classical and big-band music. His 100,000 daily listeners stuck with him.

Lewis was given the nickname "Akuhead" by an irate listener when he gave the wrong time on air, sending her running to the office an hour early.

*** 11/13/20

‘A Day in the Life of a Fish-head’

calcium and vitamin D

I was looking up vitamin D (or something) and read somewhere that over 500 Mg of calcium is ineffective and that it was better to take them in separate doses.  So I started giving mom her calcium pill at night.

But now I can't find a reference.

And now I read that post-menopausal women should NOT take vitamin D and calcium according to a "government advistory panel".  WTH.

For years, experts have been touting the health benefits of these nutrients. Both calcium and vitamin D are key nutrients for bone health.

The Institute of Medicine, which provides independent advice on health, recommends that people daily get 600-800 IUs (international units) of vitamin D and 700-1,300 milligrams of calcium, depending on their age.

The task force's draft recommendation looked at doses up to 400 IUs (international units) of vitamin D and 1,000 milligrams of calcium for fracture prevention, and recommended against taking them, saying the nutrients slightly increase the risk for kidney stones. The authors add that there is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about taking larger doses to prevent fractures.

Taylor Wallace, senior director of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade group that represents supplement makers, says research shows that supplementation with calcium and vitamin D is beneficial for bone health, particularly in post-menopausal women and the elderly. "You want try to your best to get your calcium and vitamin D from food, but most Americans do not, so when there is a gap, they can fill that gap with supplements."

He points out that last month this same government task force said supplementation with vitamin D was beneficial in preventing incidences of falls among adults ages 65 and older. "Since falls commonly result in fractures, it's common sense for the elderly to consider supplementing with vitamin D and calcium."

***

Well, here's one link.  According to Dr. Bill Salt

Since most of us cannot absorb more than 600 milligrams of calcium at a time, it is best to divide the daily dose in two and take it twice a day.

And here's one from the Mayo Clinic

Calcium is absorbed most efficiently when it's taken in amounts of 500 or 600 milligrams (mg) or less at one time. If you take 1,000 mg of calcium a day, split it into two or more doses over the course of the day.

And here's another one

It is also important not to consume too much calcium at one time. For the most efficient calcium absorption, it is best to consume calcium (from food and/or supplements) in amounts of 600mg or less at one time. Your body uses calcium best when it is spread out through the day.

And from wikipedia

Most experts recommend that supplements be taken with food and that no more than 600 mg should be taken at a time because the percent of calcium absorbed decreases as the amount of calcium in the supplement increases.